The cycling thread
•
Page 174

@elstoof Yeah I did in the end. I was all ready to fit the v-brakes, but bit of a problem, my newer bike frame has not post/bar things for those kind of brakes. So yeah, thought sod it, front brake has always been better than the rear anyway, and I can barely do an endo even if I try!

Sorry to hear that Psychotext. Just fell off myself. Note to self; do not underestimate ice on a forest road! Fortunately the fall itself was quite soft, sort of slid a bit. Becoming an expert tumbler, fell off twice in two weeks now. This weather is rather hazardous.

Psychotext wrote:
Unrelated, I realised tonight that every single ZipVit product I've tried was horrible. I suspect that no-one who works there actually has tastebuds.

I use them on events, but only the chocolate/strawberry bars. Cliff's are another one I use. They are quite expensive but they're the only ones I can keep down. The gels are way way too thick for me, but again, in terms of carbs they are jam packed.

Clif bars are good, and think the Mule bars are the closest to actual food.

I've tried most, TorQ are OK but a bit malty/animal feed, and Powerbars are like eating a piece of sticky MDF, horrible.

Got a slipping seatpost at the moment, should be fine as the diameters are corect, but it does just happen sometimes. I'm trying the NuSkool trick of carbon assembly paste inside a steel frame. Should give me the grip without over tightening anything, and it prevents corrosion.

Trafford wrote:
Heh, I keep up with my mtb mucker, he rides a 27 speed, and is 5 years younger. Try it, it will make you a better climber.
Yes on the insane hills I'm walking , but just as fast as he is twiddling.

I'm having to think about gears on my custom build tourer at the moment. 2x10 Shimano Deore XT maybe?
Is removing a rear wheel with hub gear all that tricky?

Hub gears are fine, provided the bike is set up for them. There are a number of solutions for sorting chain tension; semi-horizontal rear dropouts, eccentric bottom brackets, the surly singleator.

I've seen combo rear hubs that run internal gears with a 3-speed external cassette with a rear derailleur. That would sort all your chain tension needs.

Just in from Rapha, they are offering 30% off merino base layers, which takes them to just over £40 each.

I was a bit of a sceptic till I used them, now I very very rarely ride without one. They do an amazing job of temperature regulation and don't smell funny, even if you wear them for a few days of riding.

From their email

"Merino Base Layers are, quite simply, one of the most essential pieces of kit we make. To celebrate these unsung heroes of the Rapha range, we’d like to offer you a 30% discount on a Rapha Merino Base Layer, V-Neck Base Layer or Women’s Long Sleeve Base Layer. Simply enter offer code RBL30 at checkout."

Yep, I can vouch for them, they're awesome. Super comfy, I've worn them under nylon jerseys and amazingly the jersey on top starts to smell long before the base layer does. The only downside is they're so good that you only really need a few. I got a bundle of three for £140 and I don't really need any more.